When Honda made the Motocompo, a tiny, one-person scooter powered by two-stroke, 49 cc gasoline engine, it had in thoughts a last-mile transporter, moveable sufficient to slot in the trunk of a automotive and highly effective sufficient to journey about 60 km (37 miles) with a high velocity of 30 km/h (19 mph). Its engine produced solely 2.5 horsepower — the identical energy as a transportable garden mover engine.
Final week, Honda introduced the provision, initially in Japan, of the Motocompacto, successor to the Motocompo in perform, however not in emissions. It will likely be out there within the US someday in November at Honda and Acura vehicle sellers priced at simply $995.
Designed and developed by Honda engineers in Ohio and Californi,a the Motocompacto has 32 patents underneath its belt.
“Motocompacto is simple to make use of and enjoyable to journey, however was additionally designed with security, sturdiness, and safety in thoughts,” mentioned Nick Ziraldo, mission lead and design engineering unit chief at Honda Growth and Manufacturing of America. “It makes use of a strong heat-treated aluminum body and wheels, shiny LED headlight and taillight, facet reflectors, and a welded metal lock loop on the kickstand that’s appropriate with most bike locks.”

Folded, it’s barely larger than cabin-compliant baggage. (Picture from Honda)
The now-vintage Motocompo was created in 1980 and manufactured between beginning 1981 to 1986. Designer Yoshiaki Okabe was impressed by the World Struggle II-era British Welbike folding bike. He designed the Motocompo to fold and match into the trunk of the Honda Metropolis, a Japan-only kei automotive, which he additionally penned.
Because the new Motocompacto inherits all of the collapsible and foldable traits of its mother or father, it shortly transforms into its personal compact, gentle, and stackable carrying box-like case that’s straightforward to take alongside in a car, on public transportation or retailer in tight locations. It’s seen because the mode of transport for getting round metropolis streets and school campuses. It’s designed with rider consolation and comfort in thoughts, with options like a soft seat, safe foot pegs, on-board storage, a digital speedometer, a cost gauge, and a snug carry deal with.
Whereas the Motocompo’s smoke-spewing 2-stroke engine produced 2.5 horsepower, its all-electric successor has an electrical motor that outputs 490 watts, the equal to about 0.66 horsepower. To make it go, a 48-volt lithium-ion battery with about 1.5 kilowatt-hours capability is used. This provides the Motocompacto a variety of as much as 12 miles on a single cost. It may be absolutely charged in simply 3.5 hours in each the folded and ready-to-ride configuration utilizing a typical 110 v outlet.
Honda mentioned that “the zero-emissions Motocompacto is designed for the fashionable realities of city mobility, offering riders with a simple and fun-to-ride various transport that enormously reduces their carbon footprint whereas providing nice comfort.”
To understand what precisely this carbon footprint is deserves a comparability between the Motocompo and the Motocompacto. Although Honda didn’t launch any emissions info on its moveable gasoline scooter, in response to the California Air Assets Board (CARB), a typical 49cc two-stroke engine produces about 1.5 grams of hydrocarbons per kilometer, about 0.5 grams of carbon monoxide per kilometer, and about 0.2 grams of nitrogen oxides per kilometer. Which means that the whole emissions from a 49cc two-stroke engine are about 2.2 grams per kilometer.
In line with Honda, the Motocompacto is designed to be personalised. “With glossy and easy styling that’s excellent for decals, stickers, skins, and extra. To reinforce the enjoyment of possession, a enjoyable and purposeful line of branded Motocompacto equipment will probably be out there, together with a helmet, backpack, attire, and extra.”
A intelligent telephone app permits riders to regulate their private settings, together with lighting and journey modes, by way of Bluetooth. Charging is fast and handy with an ordinary compact charger that may be stowed on-board.
“The Honda Motocompacto is a superb possibility for anybody searching for a enjoyable, handy, and reasonably priced solution to get round city. It’s excellent for brief journeys, commuting, and working errands,” Honda shared in its official press assertion after the launch of the electrical bike.

A transparent view of the Motocompacto’s design with a direct motor drive and the battery pack reveals ample space for storing when the handlebars aren’t folded. Picture from Honda
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